India: Research shows rice paddy straw can be fed to ruminants

A new study from the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) in India suggests that treated rice paddy straw can be safely used as animal feed, particularly for ruminants in southeast Asia and China. Currently, most of the 20 million tons produced annually in Punjab is burned in fields, leading to air pollution and losing potential nutrients for animal feed. The study recommends two methods to treat the straw with urea and either molasses or only urea, which significantly increases the straw's crude protein, digestible crude protein, and total digestible nutrients. Feeding urea-treated straw to lactating buffaloes can also reduce the need for oilseed cake in their diet by 60%. The study emphasizes the need to mix the treated straw with other fodders and provide additional nutrients to the animals to prevent oxalate-related issues. This solution, endorsed by a Punjab animal husbandry official, could help address the lack of feed and fodder in India and reduce the environmental impact of straw burning.